BLS Sussex Salopian, 24th March 2018

It's difficult to keep up with all the tours organised by the Branch Line Society and certainly keeps me off the streets! The "Sussex Salopian" ran over two days on Saturday and Sunday 24th and 25th March 2018. Starting from Carnforth on the Saturday, travelling to Bognor Regis and terminating in Crewe, it returned to Carnforth the following day. I was only able to do the Saturday stint, travelling from Crewe and alighting there on the return trip. The tour ran in conjunction with 84G Railtours (their first venture), West Coast Railway Company and Network Rail, once again raising funds for the Railway Children Charity. It also involved a side trip to visit the Hotham Park Miniature Railway in Bognor Regis and also a visit to the Crewe Heritage Centre for a trip around all their tracks on the Sunday morning - quite a marathon! As usual, a few shots to start with, more to add as and when time permits....

As a side trip after the BLS "Sussex Salopian" tour reached its destination at Bognor Regis a visit to the Hotham Park Miniature Railway had been organised. Some forty members were escorted by the nearest walking route to the park and then treated to a double circuit of the 12¼" gauge railway, utilising all the usual running lines. As a bonus, and as time permitted, the train was repeatedly run in and out of the shed's stabling roads, covering all three. This was the third reversal into the shed and meant that all lines were covered. The loco is a 0-6-0T steam outline diesel, powered by a Perkins engine, and is named "BORIS". Nothing to do with the Foreign Secretary, Russian Premiers or mad Kings - a competition was held and this was the winning name suggested by a nine year-old girl - it is simply a shortened version of BOgnor RegIS! Runners-up suggestions were used for the coaching stock, hence "Doodle", "Pickle" and "Bumble Around". There is also a unique (for this sort of gauge line) disabled coach named "Ryan" after a paraplegic boy who persuaded the railway to build one. Also visible in the shed is the Class 33 diesel, not yet operational and behind that is an engineering wagon, No. 10. 14:45¼, Saturday 24th March 2018. Digital Image No. GMPK4547.